The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students to conduct research in other countries in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. This program holds an annual competition. Institutions of higher education in the…

The Common Core State Standards spell out the sophisticated language competencies that students will need to perform in academic and technical subject areas. English language learners (ELLs) face a double challenge--they must learn grade-level content while simultaneously building their language proficiency. This policy brief discusses these…

This paper investigates whether the new EFL teacher training curriculum provides an efficient ICT training or not through both a quantitative and a partially qualitative research methodology. One hundred twenty-four prospective EFL teachers participated in this study and the results of a series of Independent Samples T-tests highlight that the…

This book illustrates the ways that cognitive linguistics, a relatively new paradigm in language studies, can illuminate and facilitate language research and teaching. The first part of the book introduces the basics of cognitive linguistic theory in a way that is geared toward second language teachers and researchers. The second part of the book…

This article focuses on the difficulties encountered by newcomers from diverse backgrounds who come to the United States with the desire to learn English and further their studies. Most of these newcomers sometimes face insurmountable difficulties while trying to learn the new language. In some cases, they hit brick walls and the only negative…

The purpose of this research is to examine the efficacy of "Tools of the Mind". Specifically, the aims of the research are to: (1) Evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of Tools of the Mind, designed to promote school readiness for Latino preschoolers who are English Language Learners and at risk for later school difficulties; (2)…

As the population of young dual language learners continues to rise, how can early childhood professionals choose culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments for Spanish-English bilingual preschoolers? They'll get expert guidance in this one-of-a-kind resource, a comprehensive roundup and analysis of 37 developmental assessments…

This dissertation investigates the ways in which experience with lexical tone influences the perception of musical melody, and how musical training influences the perception of lexical tone. The central theoretical basis for the study is a model of perceptual learning, Reverse Hierarchy Theory (Ahissar et al., 2009), in which cognitive processes…

This dissertation explored the effect of two planning conditions (the multiple planning condition with rehearsal and online planning time, and the single planning condition with online planning time only) on L2 production complexity and accuracy and the subsequent development of these two linguistic areas in the context of written synchronous…

The entire diversity landscape of our university campuses is changing. As American colleges and universities address their need for more globally aware campuses, academic institutions are hiring well-qualified foreign-born scholars to teach in their programs. Both non-resident alien faculty as well as those who are foreign-born but are classified…

This study investigates motivation that influences heritage and non-heritage students' learning of Chinese, and its relationship with Chinese language learning strategies (LLS). The study uses Deci and Ryan's typology--"Intrinsic Motivation" and "Extrinsic Motivation", for the investigation, examining issues such as: (1) What…

Research into complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) as basic dimensions of second language performance, proficiency and development has received increased attention in SLA. However, the larger picture in this field of research is often obscured by the breadth of scope, multiple objectives and lack of clarity as to how complexity, accuracy and…

In response to federal initiatives such as Race to the Top (RTTT), Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waiver requests, and the Teacher Incentive Fund competition, states have made dramatic changes in their policies related to teacher evaluation during the past three years. Historically, teacher evaluation systems have been…

Background: Students at the Universidad de Alcala need batteries of learning objects and exercises. Although student textbooks tend to include a wide range of additional exercises, students in advanced linguistics and language courses require learning objects to obtain additional practice. Online repositories offer excellent opportunities for…

Over the last decade there has been an augmenting shift away from the conventional teaching and learning to modes where the Internet now plays a key role. E-learning is increasingly forming an integral part of course delivery and instruction, and is reshaping traditional learning worldwide. This paper outlines the shift from traditional learning…